Method of making counter portions



Dec. 25, 1945. E. A. COHEN METHOD OF MAKING COUNTER PORTIONS Original Filed July 8, 1944 I w k INVE NTOR. (2 4. Mm.

BY; Z m omr Patented Dec. 25, 1945 2,391,446 METHOD OF MAKING- COUNTER PORTIONS Eli A. Cohen, Stoneham, Mass.

Original application July 8, 1944, Serial 'No.

Divided and this application December 11, 1944, Serial No. 567,691

4 Claims.

This invention consists in an improved process of making counter portions for shoes or sandals, characterized by a single-ply lining and stiffening member having the functions of supplying the necessary stiffness to maintain the fine shoemak ing lines desired in the counter portion of a shoe, and also of presenting a lining surface satisfactory in appearance and texture for the inside of the shoe.

In the construction of counter pockets and the counter portions of shoes heretofore constructed, it has been the practice to insert a fibre counter stiifening member as a distinct or unitary element between the leather or outer integument and an inner textile lining. The stiffening member is molded either separately or with the other plies of the counter pocket, but in commercial shoemaking practice a three-ply construction has been considered necessary and this entails fitting, tempering and assembling operations which must be carried out with accuracy in order to insure a satisfactory product. The three-ply structure also necessarily results in a considerable and sometimes objectionable thickness of material which it is sometimes difficult to shape smoothly and accurately to the last about the heel seat of the shoe or sandal.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a two-ply counter construction possessing inherently all the necessary stiffness for the counter portion of a shoe and having the advantages of easier and more-convenient molding than heretofore as compared to the usual three-ply construction. Thus an important economy is introduced into the shoemaking process both because less material is used and because the number of shoemaking operations required is correspondingly reduced. The thinner material has h the additional advantage of permitting the counterto conform more closely to the fine lines of the last than a counter of three-ply construction.

I have discovered that all these and other desir- I able results may be achieved by employing as the inner member of the counter portion fibre or cardboard sheet material coated with pyroxylin, vinyl, or other thermoplastic or resinous coating, and embossed and molded so that it is formed into the desired shape and presents a. surface appearance acceptable and attractive as a lining. By the process of my invention I am able to do away with the step of mulling and tempering the stiffening blank. This is because the flexible thermoplastic coating of the flbreboard or cardboard imparts a plasticity thereto that renders this sheet material readily moldable without the requirement of additional moisture. The molding of the counter portion may be carried out with good advantage after assembling the outer instegument and the inner member, since the combined thickness of these two plies is such as can be conveniently handled in counter molding machines readily available in the industry. The step of embossing the exposed face of the inner member may be carried out at any convenient time, but there are certain advantages in economy of manufacture which result from combining the counter molding and embossing operation and the present invention includes this procedure asan important though optional characteristic.

Heretofore it has been considered necessary to apply cement or paste to one or both faces of a counter stiffening blank to secure it adhesively at least to one of its enclosing plies and generally to both of them. Another important advantage of my improved process is that the employment of adhesive of any kind is obviated. This desirable result is achieved in accordance with the process of my invention because the peculiar and characteristic moldability imparted to the fibreboard ply I y its flexible thermoplastic coating makes a sewed connection between the plies entirely satisfactory and adequate. It also causes the two plies to conform intimately to each other in the molding operation and acquire a composite contour exactly reproducing the shape of the mold. Accordingly, the coated stiflening ply and the outer integument of the upper may, without conditioning treatment, be sewed together in a dry, flat condition and molded as one piece to provide a completely finished counter portion ready for incorporation in a shoe.

These and other features and characteristics of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof and of the process of manufacturing it as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the combined lining and stiffening member suggesting the coating step;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the inner and outer members of the counter portion in assembled relation;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of suitable counter molding elements for carrying out the process of my invention; and

Fig. 4 is a view in perspectiv of the finished counter portion.

The inner member of my improved counter portion may be formed from the counter board commercially available in the industry, or any suitable fibreboard. A blank ill of this material is died out in the required shape, skived about its margin, and pinked in its lower edge to facilitate the subsequent molding operation. It is then coated on one face with afllm of pyroxylin or any suitable-resinous material such as vinyl acetate. There are several thermoplastic or thermosetting resins having the necessary characteristics of strength, toughness, flexibility, resistance to moisture, etc., which are suitable for purposes of this invention. Any one of these may be applied in solvent form to form a fllm or coating H as suggested in Fig. 1. In this figure reference character |2 indicates a conventional spray nozzle.

Meanwhile, the outer integument I3 of th counter portion may be prepared in accordance with regular shoeinaking practice. If this is of leather, its margin is preferably skived and folded to provide a finished edge i4, and the two blanks are assembled and stitched togetherby a marginal line of stitching l5 which extends;-

across the straight edge of the blank as well as about its curved edge.

The two-ply blank thus prepared may now be molded and the counter portion thus completed by being presented to the molding instrumentalities of a counter molding machin as suggested in Fig. 3. These comprise cooperating jaws and 2| presenting a U-shaped recess; a convex plug 22 which, as herein shown, is provided with an electric heating unit 23, and a reciprocatory wiper plate 2|. The-convex walls of the plug 22 are etched or engraved to present a pebbled effect, or any other surface design which it may be desired to impart by embossing to the coated surface of the member III. In efl'ecting the combined molding and embossing step, the assembled blank is placed upon the plug 22 with its straight margin projecting beyond the outer fiat face of the plug. The plug is then elevated and the jaws 20 and 2| closed upon the blank with a powerful pressure. The wiper plate 24 now moves downwardly across the face of the jaws 20 and 2|, wiping the pro- ,i'ecting margin of the blank inwardly and moldingit so as, to form the intumed flange I6 of the counter portion. Simultaneously the pattern on-the walls of the plug 22 is embossed into the coating l of the inner member of the counter portion. When the complete counter portion is removed from the molds it has acquired permanently the shape imparted to it by the molds and presents a stiff and resilient structure, selfcontained and preserving the contour desired in the counter portion of the shoe. The resiliency and stiffnes of the finished counter portion is enhanced by the thermoplastic or thermosetting coating which is set in molded shape by the heat of the molding and embossing operation. If the counter portion is to be used in a sandal, it may be provided with a strap and buckle as shown in Fig. 4.

While, as already explained, it is advantageous to combine the molding and embossing operation, it would be within the scope of my invention to emboss the coated surface of the inner member "I as a separate and distinct.step while the assembled blanks are in flat condition or in the sheet and prior to the molding operation.

Fibreboard is manufactured and supplied to the shoemaking industry in various degrees of hardness and thickness depending upon the manner in which it is to be used. A flbreboard .05 inch inthickness and of medium hardness has been found entirely satisfactory for purposes of the present invention. This is readily procurable in the open market, and when provided with a thermoplastic film of either pyroxylin or vinyl resin exhibits the desired characteristic moldability. It receives readily the shape imparted to it by the molds, presents an unwrinkled surface of attractive appearance, and supplies the desired stiffness and resiliency t9 the molded counter portion. a

The improved counter portion herein disclosed is the subject-matter of my co-pending application Ser. No, 543,976, filed July 8, 1944, of which the present application is a division.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative example of one manner in which it may be carried out, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The process of making molded counter portions which consists in assembling an outer integument with an inner ply of flbreboard coated with thermoplastic material, embossing the exposed face of the inner ply to present a patterned surface, and molding the two plies in assembled relation into the shape of a counter with intumed base flange.

2. The processor making. counter portions which consists in assembling an outer ply with an inner ply having its exposed surface coated with a thermoplastic film, and then simultaneoulsly molding the united plies into the shape of a counter with intumed base flange, and embossthe exposed face of the inner ply.

3. The process of making counter portions which consists in assembling anouter ply with an inner ply having its exposed surface coated with a thermoplastic film, uniting the two plies by stitching about the entire margin thereof including the straight bottom edge, embossing the exposed face of the inner ply, and molding the united plies into the shape of a counter with a well defined attaching flange.

4. The process of making a complete unitary finished counter portion for a shoe ready for assembling as a unit, the said process comprising the steps of providing a ply of upper material of a nature appropriate to constitute the exposed outer surface of a shoe, providing a flbreboard ply of similar shape having one face coated with a flexible thermoplastic material and embo sed to simulate the appearance of a te7"e shoe lining, stitching the two plies togethe. .n dry, flat condition without adhesive, and then, without tempering. molding the plies thus united into the form of a counter having an intumed base flange ELI A. COHEN. 

